"How Did the Country End Up Like This?" Yoon Seoin Criticizes Coverage of Late Baek Giwan

Yoon Seoin Faces Backlash for Comments on Late Baek Giwan
Song Younggil Criticizes, Saying "He Needs to Learn Basic Manners"
Yoon Seoin Responds, "I Seem to Be the Only One Speaking the Truth About Baek Giwan's Life"

Cartoonist Seo In Yoon. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, reporter Heo Midam] Cartoonist Yoon Seoin has come under fire for his remarks about the late Baek Giwan, director of the Unification Research Institute, who passed away after a long illness. Yoon commented, "So, a supposedly great figure has passed away." Last month, Yoon also faced criticism for posting comments mocking independence activists and their descendants. In response to the controversy, the Liberation Association announced that it would take legal action against Yoon.

On the 16th, Yoon wrote on his Facebook page, "What kind of country did Baek Giwan dream of during his lifetime? What kind of unification did Baek Giwan envision?"

He continued, "Right now, all the media are mourning Baek Giwan's death, praising his life, and even the opposition parties are paying tribute to him. It seems that I am the only one speaking the truth about his life," adding, "How did this country end up like this?"

He went on to say, "Fine, throw stones at me. No matter how many stones are thrown, I will defend my freedom to think and my freedom to judge," and added, "In this life, I will just keep speaking the truth, even if it means dying because of it."

Photo by Yoon Seoin, captured from Facebook.

Previously, on the day before, Yoon had shared a news article about Baek's passing on his Facebook page, writing, "The man who said drinking Coca-Cola would rot the nation's spirit. It's true that he devoted his life to the unification movement. The problem is, the unification he pursued was not the free unification we envision," and added, "It must be a regret for him to have died without seeing 'that unification' he wanted." This sparked controversy.

Yoon also stirred further controversy for mocking the deceased by commenting on the post, sharing articles that described Baek as "a great elder of the Korean progressive movement" and "a great star of the democratization movement," and adding, "So, a supposedly great figure has passed away. Good grief."

Photo by Yoon Seoin, captured from Facebook.

Yoon's remarks have also drawn criticism from political circles. Song Younggil, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, targeted Yoon on his Facebook page, saying, "It is truly difficult to properly teach those immature people who only see what they want to see and say what they want to say."

Song pointed out, "Although the Republic of Korea is a liberal democracy, there are times when it is difficult to live as a democrat. It is especially more difficult when immature people, who cannot distinguish between 'freedom' and 'licentiousness,' recklessly spout nonsense."

He continued, "Cartoonists need to be taught basic manners toward humanity," adding, "Even if we only have the intention to teach our children the right path, it is a difficult time to do so."

In response, Yoon fired back. Sharing Song's comments on his Facebook page, he wrote, "Did he sacrifice for the people's freedom? Quite the opposite," and questioned, "Wasn't he someone who spent his whole life siding with the North, where there is no such thing as freedom?"

Yoon further stated, "Let's think carefully about who is trampling on my freedom to think and my freedom to judge with these absurd remarks," and pointed out, "Whenever dictators suppress the people's freedom, they always say, 'Freedom is good, but licentiousness is not allowed.'"

Meanwhile, Jeong Cheolseung, a legal advisor to the Liberation Association, has announced plans to take legal action against Yoon.

On his Facebook page the previous day, Jeong said, "We have received reports that Yoon is insulting and mocking the late Baek Giwan. Looking at the comments, there are many who join in and insult the deceased. Please capture and send all such comments."

He warned, "If possible, please also provide the identities of the commenters. In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, we will take legal action against everyone involved without exception."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.